Out-of-State Winner at the RESET St. Augustine 5K Fun Run Fundraiser

Runners from as far away as Arizona and Tallahassee came to join local runners to support RESET St. Augustine at the 3rd annual RESET 5K fun run, and it was clear that education and students were the focus of today's race. Among the 52 runners that had signed up to participate several were coaches and educators, many were students, and there were also RESET students among the runners. Local teachers helped out organizing the event, and both current and former RESET students volunteered and came out to support the organization. 

"It is a fundraiser for our non-profit," said RESET co-founder Alyssa Kelley. "It brings in money that helps keep our services up and running at no cost to students. Quinterrance was born and raised here. This is his hometown, and he has a lot of passion for the community that raised him. I worked at St. Augustine High School for seven years, and just kind of grew a passion for the kids and saw the areas that they could use some more support in. We started RESET to fill that gap that unfortunately the school system just can't provide for. We launched in 2020, so our doors have been open for two years, and it has been a busy two years."

RESET Co-founder and St. Augustine High School Athletic Director Quinterrance Cooper led the runners on his bike to ensure that they found their way out to the Solomon Calhoun Center and back to RESET's future home on N. Volusia Street in West Augustine. Immediately behind him, Dan Kuch, an athletic director and coach from Arizona came in first place with a time of 17 minutes and 59 seconds. 

Dan Kuch from Tallahassee won the RESET 5K race in St. Augustine Florida

"It was nice to have someone out there leading, so I didn't have to worry about missing a turn," said Kuch, who was in the area with his family to visit his niece, who is a pilot at the Air Force Base in Jacksonville.

Dan Kuch winner of the RESET 5K race in St. Augustine Florida with his family.

When asked how he felt about running to support the kids receiving free tutoring at RESET, " Kuch was thrilled. "I'm actually a teacher, I'm an athletic director and coach in Arizona, so that's kind of one of the reasons why I signed up. I'm retired law enforcement, and I decided to get into teaching, just because I love kids."

Vicki Droze won the women's race, and the special education teacher from Tallahassee had brought along her husband Gary Droze, who is a cross country and track coach at Tallahassee Community College. "Whenever we go on vacation, we look for a little 5K to run," said Vicki Droze. "We were here last night for the Barenaked Ladies Concert."

Vicki and Gary Droze from Tallahassee at the RESET 5K race in St. Augustine, Florida.

Gary Droze finished in the men's top 5, and he was especially excited about supporting RESET's cause. "We're both educators, and there's a real need for that," said Gary Droze about the free tutoring and resources that RESET St. Augustine provides. "I think they're fulfilling a great community need."

Cole Swesey (#35) was the youngest runner in the top 5, and he will be attending St. Augustine High School next year, where he plans to join both the track and field team as well as the cross country team. "Coach Morton sent out an email about the race, and I thought it would be fun to attend," he said. "This is a chance for me to know what it [RESET] is all about, and it is for a good cause."

West Augustine natives Jawaun Boyson and Larron Burden at the RESET 5K fun run.

West Augustine natives Jawaun Boyson and Larron Burden participated in the race, and Kelley was excited to see them there. "They were part of RESET before RESET was RESET. Before it started, Quinterrance and I worked with his basketball program, when he was the coach at St. Augustine High School and kind of implemented what we're doing with his basketball program as a trial and error, and these two gentlemen were a part of that. They graduated in 2020, so they graduated the year we launched RESET before we launched it, and they still come around and help us out at events and check-in, and they're a good example of what we're hoping for."

"I'm here to support Ms. Kelley and Coach Coop," said Boyson. "They always helped me out throughout school, they helped with my grades and they kept pushing me through high school. I wouldn't have graduated without them." 

Burden agrees. "Ms. Kelley and Coach Coop they've been with me ever since I got into high school. I went through a lot of trials and errors during my younger days, and they pulled me through it and everything. They're one of the reasons why I graduated from high school, and they just kept me out of trouble."

The young men both played basketball at SAHS all four years, and they are excited about RESET's mission and about what the future relocation from Lincolnville to West Augustine will mean for their community. 

"Our starting spot is in the heart of West Augustine," said Kelley. "It is in walking distance from Webster Elementary and Murray Middle School, and it is just really in the heart of where many of our kids live. It was really important to us that we were located somewhere that people could reach us and could get to us, and so we have the ability to utilize this land, and this is actually where we will be building the future brick and mortar site for RESET. Hopefully, in another year or two you will see not an empty piece of land, but a new glorious building that is housing all the RESET services."

Rhoda Kearse at the RESET 5K fun run

"I just think what they do is awesome," said Rhoda Kearse about the Cooper/Kelley team. She and her daughter laced up to support RESET because she was proud to support her nephew Quinterrance Cooper. Kearse is also excited about the future move of RESET St. Augustine to the West Augustine location. "I think it is a good move. It will probably be more room, and they'll probably get more kids, kids that normally can't get a ride."

You can learn more about RESET St. Augustine's free tutoring services here, and you can find RESET's free summer programs in St. Augustine under the FREE Tutoring link in the SERVICES tab.

*This piece was originally posted on the West Augustine News Connection on June 4, 2022.

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